Social media has a lot of benefits: it鈥檚 a place where we can keep up with friends, make plans and hear about events. However, it can also become a source of stress and anxiety. Here are some tips to help you navigate social media in a positive way.
Check your accounts
Do you know how many accounts you have online? Once you start looking at all of your social accounts, you may realize you have more than you thought. Social media is built into many of our favorite apps: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Reddit, TikTok 鈥 the list goes on. Take a moment to look at what kinds of social media accounts you have, and reflect on how you use them. Ask yourself:
Social media accounts should be a place where you find connection, relief and feel uplifted. If you find that your social platforms are missing the mark, consider getting rid of them or use them less frequently. Unsure about deleting an account? See if you can deactivate it instead. This will temporarily remove your profile from the site without losing your account entirely. If you find that you miss it, you can always re-activate it later on.
Hit unfollow
Who do you follow on social? Whether you follow close friends and family or celebrities and meme accounts, it鈥檚 important to know who you鈥檙e following and why. Take a look at the accounts you follow and ask yourself:
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to unfollow. If you鈥檙e worried about unfollowing an account altogether, try hiding them from your feed instead. Hiding this type of content from your view can help you feel a sense of relief and will free up space for accounts that make you feel good. 聽
Pause before you post
Parties and practical jokes can make for funny social posts, but they may have a larger impact down the line. Many employers check social media profiles during the hiring process, and they may look back further than you鈥檇 think. Group accounts and even those that aren鈥檛 directly tied to you (think finsta) can have a negative impact in the future. Before you post, ask yourself:
If the answers to these questions are largely negative, skip the share button. You鈥檒l still have the memory to look back on.
Take a vacation from social
If you find yourself on social throughout the day, it may be time for a mini vacation to help you disconnect. One way to decrease your time on social accounts is to designate phone-free spaces. For instance, you may decide that your classrooms are a phone-free zone. By keeping your phone in your backpack, you may find that you鈥檙e able to focus more in class (it has also been shown to improve grades and performance on tests). Hanging out with friends is another great time to disconnect and focus on the people you鈥檙e with. If you need extra help unplugging, try these tips:
If you are struggling or having a difficult time coping with social media issues, Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is here to help. They offer walk-in hours at their main office in C4C N352, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also visit Let鈥檚 Talk for a free and confidential consultation at a variety of locations across campus.